St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-08-04

keep the pages open sufficiently to be
read, and made up of different kinds
and sizes of paper, or blotted and in
terlined to the extent of being render
ed in the least illegible, or that is in
any other way untidy or hard to hold.
The manuscript should be so prepared
that the editor can put his whole
thought upon its subject matter. That
manuscript is the most welcome, per-
haps, that is prepared from pad of
note paper size, and is sent in an en-
velOpe large enough so that the paper
need not be folded. Then the editor
will at least not be prejudiced against
an article before he begins to read.
WONDERFUL INDIAN HORSEMAN-
SHIP.
An Exhibition by the ArapahOe Young
Men.
| Gen. j. S. Brisbin IN Omaha Republican.
One day Friday said to me he would
like to show off his young men and let
me see how well they could ride. At
| first expected some treachery, as the
whole herd of ponies were still in the
hands of the troops. The old chief,
however, was so earnest and appar-
emily honest about it that L told the
captain, who had the herd in charge,
he might let Friday have so ponies for
his young men. In about an hour
they drew up before the tents in war
paint and feathers, and were as fine a
looking set of young fellows as had
ever seen. Hardly one but was six
feet in hight and beautifully proper
toned. They sat on their horses like
centaurs, and were ease and grace it
self i'll the saddle. At signal from
their chief they began their move
ments with a yell that sent the blood
curdllng IN the heart, and was enough,
If heard unawares or in the nighttime,
to make ones hair stand on end. In u
moment they had disappeared over a
neigboring hill to the right, and L
thought they had gone, but, hearing a
mighty trampling of horses, looked
to the left and there they came.
can compare it to nothing but the
wind, and they swept by so swift and
compact that they looked like a ball of
horses and men. Splitting in two, one
body swept to the right and another
to the left and again disappeared. In
about two minutes the two bodies
charged each other in solid lines and L
waited almost breathlessly for the
shock, but as the horses heads almost
touched each other the files skilfully
opened to the right and left and the
lines passed through the intervals
without touching. Wheeling to the
right about they passed back in an in
slant and again disappeared over the
hills. 1t was about Is minutes before
they came in sight, and Friday inform
ed me that they were blowing their
horses. Presently on they came and
wheeled by tours, formed columns,
broke by tours, and finally deplOyed
as skirmishers. 1t was now we saw
the finest individual horsemanship.
Some would approach lying so close to
the pOny's back nothing but the horses
could be seen. Others stood up and
rode as circus men do. Some would
hang with one foot and one hand on
the horses and sweep by, their bodies
completely protected by the bodies of
the animals. Some leaped upon the
ground, holding to the name of the
horse, and after running a step or two
would swing themselves up on the
backs of the horses again as easily as
any circus man could do it. The pO-
sitions they assumed and the feats of
hOrsemanship they performed were in
credible, and [ doubt if anything out
side of a circus ring ever equaled it.
They would throw objects on the
ground and pick them up again while
passing at full speed, the warriors
hanging to the sides of the horses with
one foot and one hand. They drew
bows and shot arrows from underneath
the bellies of their horses while riding
at fast gallOp.
Our cavalry could not learn to ride
as well as these Indians did if each
man was trained for 90 years. They
exchanged horses while riding and got
behind each other. One man would
fall off his horse as if wounded, and
two others would ride up beside him,
and taking him by an arm and leg
swing him between their horses and
carry him off. The exhibition or drill,
AS Friday called it, lasted nearly two
hours, and the men and horses were
completely exhausted. | had never
seen such magnificent feats of horse
manship in my life, and l freely said |
so. At this Friday was much pleased,
and calling up the young men repeated
to them in a loud voice what | had
said, and added few words of his
own complimenting them. The young
men were very proud of the manner in
which they had acquitted themselves,
and l could imagine the feelings of
their parents and sweethearts. The
performers were much worn out, some
of them being hardly able to stand af
ter their violent exercise, and all the
evening saw them lying in the lodges,
where the Indian women brought them
food and water, bathed their hands,
arms and limbs, and cOmbed their hair.
Wearing Holes Through the Skull.